The financial situation for the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department looks good at the end of the first quarter. Click to hear KMZU’s Sarah Scott speak with Sheriff Chuck Heiss:

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They currently have a revenue of $268,000. Heiss said most of this comes from housing detainees from municipalities in the Kansas City area.

“This is our first full year in the new facility. Last year’s first quarter contract housing was about $46,000, so this a significant increase over what we did last year at this time. But, again, the jail wasn’t fully operational in the first quarter of last year,” said Heiss, “Now with the jail being fully operation, we’re realizing the revenue-generating potential.”

Heiss estimates about 85 percent of their approximately 150 beds are usually occupied by detainees from other municipalities at a cost of $34.50 per day.